TIME TRAVELERS

Even though Matt & I are now in Kilimanjaro (CULTURE SHOCK! CULTURE SHOCK!), I would like to take you back to Dubai again briefly & post some videos that we couldn't get to work til now.  So hold on to your underpants, because we're now going back in time.  zzzzzzZZZZZZIIIIIIIPPPPPP!!!!!!

We went to the old quarter of Dubai called Al Batiskaya.  They had a recreation of a Bedouin camp:

I mentioned the amazing Sheik Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi.  Here's a couple videos of the outside & inside of it:

This next video takes place while Matt & I were walking on Jumeirah Beach.  There's a call to prayer that goes out from the mosques 5 times a day for the Muslims to pray.  It's so beautiful & haunting to hear this chant throughout the whole city, wherever you are, whatever time of day.  And it's LOUD too.  The first call goes out at 5:15 AM & believe me, even though you're in your hotel room, you still hear it loud & clear.  Every hotel room has an arrow on the ceiling to show which way is east (Mecca).  There's also a prayer rug in the room & a copy of the Quran.  There were times we were shopping in the spice souk, or (as I said), walking along the beach, & the muezzin calls the prayer & you'll see flocks of men pull out their prayer rugs, face east, & kneel.  It goes on for several minutes.  Such a moving sight.  The video just allows you to hear a snippet of the prayer. 

Lastly, here's a video from our 4x4 Land Rover ride through the desert dunes.  It was rough, rocky, scary, & soooo much fun!  Be sure to listen closely for Matt's comment at the end:

-   Clara